ImageSouth P.E.T.

Located at our Montclair Road facility, ImageSouth P.E.T. has the latest technology in diagnostic imaging for cancer patients. P.E.T., the acronym for Positron Emission Tomography, has been in existence since the late 1960's. Over the years, the scanner and the radioactive agent used in this exam have been improved to the point where cancer can be detected at an earlier stage and detect the patient's response to chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. Medicare and commercial insurances are now reimbursing for the P.E.T. scan, bringing it out of the research realm and making it available to the thousands of patients with this mysterious and aggressive disease.

THE BEAUTY OF P.E.T.

The beauty of P.E.T. is its ability to measure or detect cell functioning - where the cancer process begins. We know cancer cells consume glucose, or sugar, three times faster than our normal cells. This scan allows us to see those areas of cancer cells "gobbling" up the glucose while our normal cells uptake, or consume, the glucose at a normal rate.

The difference between P.E.T. and CT or MRI is: CT or MRI tell us about your cancer by giving our radiologist and your physician a picture of the anatomy in the particular area of concern. If everything looks normal or a tumor is smaller than in a previous CT/MRI, it is felt that no tumors are present or that your cancer is responding to your treatment. Yet our radiologists are unable to tell what the cells are doing in that "normal" tissue. P.E.T. is the key that will unlock that door. P.E.T. can detect tumors as small as 4mm, which is much too small to show up on the CT/MRI.

Another important difference is that P.E.T. does a whole body scan each time, while CT/MRI are looking at just one portion of the body. Cancer can travel throughout the body and begin in another area very quietly. At this point the new tumor is said to be metastatic or metastasis has occurred. With P.E.T. imaging the whole body, we can check for and detect metastatic disease. This will in turn give you and your physician more detailed answers to such questions as: is my treatment working, has cancer spread to other parts of my body, or has cancer returned?

P.E.T. does not take the place of CT/MRI. Instead it works in conjunction with them. P.E.T shows the general area where "hot spots" occur, but where these areas are specifically located is an educated guess without the CT/MRI. This is why it is very important for you to bring your latest CT/MRI film with you to the P.E.T. scan. Having the latest in technology to aid your physician plan your treatment as our mission, The P.E.T. Center of Birmingham has added another feature that will help identify the location of hot spots on your scan. We are the only P.E.T.scanner in Alabama to have the ability to FUSE your CT or MRI with your P.E.T. scan. If your CT/MRI is done at any of our ImageSouth facilities (Greystone Imaging, Montclair Road, Shelby, or Open MRI on 280) we can then fuse this study with your P.E.T. scan. This allows our radiologists to better determine the specific location of the "hot spots".

REIMBURSEMENT BY INSURANCE COMPANIES

Presently P.E.T. is being reimbursed by Medicare and most insurance companies for the following diagnoses:

• Non-small cell lung cancer
• Esophageal cancer
• Head and Neck cancer (excluding the Central Nervous System and Thyroid cancers)
• Colorectal cancer
• Melanoma
• Lymphomas (Hodgkin's & non-Hodgkin's)

And Characterization of a Solitary Pulmonary Nodule in the lung - learning if a nodule in the lung is malignant (cancerous) or benign (non-cancerous).

Reimbursement is set up for the diagnosis, staging, and restaging of the above-mentioned cancers. A scan can be ordered by your physician for diagnosis when he has a suspicion something is present (abnormal CT/MRI, blood test, etc.). Staging refers to knowing there is a diagnosis of cancer and finding out if it has spread and to what areas of the body. Restaging refers to finding out how the cancer has responded to some type of treatment such as chemotherapy, radiation, and/or surgery.

— As of October 1, 2002, Medicare began covering the staging and restaging of breast cancer for locoregional, recurrent, or metastatic disease. They also will allow for a P.E.T. scan during the course of treatment to monitor your response to treatment. Therefore if the present treatment is not working, treatment can then be changed. Medicare WILL NOT cover initial diagnosing of breast cancer.

No other test can give your physician this type of information with the accuracy and specificity like the P.E.T. scan can!

OUR FOCUS IS ON SERVICE!

The staff at ImageSouth P.E.T. knows this is a very difficult time for you and your family. We have put some services in place to make this experience as pleasant as possible.

• Next day scheduling - You can come for your P.E.T. scan the next day if your insurance company does not require a pre-certification. Our staff will be able to tell you this soon after your physician makes your referral.
• Results will be to your physician within 24 hours after your scan is completed.
• Free parking at our front door - no more parking in decks with long walks to the hospital or remembering on what level you have parked your car.
• Our staff is always available to answer any question you may have about your scan.
• Our out-patient setting creates a professional yet comfortable atmosphere with less waiting time.

RADIOLOGISTS:

	Robert P. Eichelberger, M.D., is a Board-certified Neuroradiologist and the Medical Director for ImageSouth Greystone (Hoover) and ImageSouth Montclair (Birmingham). Dr. Eichelberger completed his residency at the University of South Alabama Medical Center, where he served as Housestaff President and Chief Resident in Radiology. He is certified by the American Board of Radiology with a Certificate of Added Qualifications in Neuroradiology.
	Ruth D, Snow, M.D., completed a residency in Diagnostic Radiology and a Fellowship in Neuroradiology at the University of South Alabama. A diplomate of the American Board of Radiology with Certificate of Added Qualifications in Neuroradiology, she served as Associate Professor of Radiology and Neurology, Chief of MRI and Chief of Neuroradiology at the University of South Alabama. Recently, she served as Chief of the Radiology Service at the Birmingham VA Medical Center, Associate Professor of Radiology, and Assistant Chief of Neuroradiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
	Thomas Harrell, M.D., attended the University of Tennessee School of Medicine, completing his residency in Diagnostic Radiology and a Fellowship in Angiography and Interventional Radiology at the Baptist Medical Centers in Birmingham, Alabama. Before he began working with ImageSouth, Dr. Harrell was a staff radiologist at Baptist Medical Center Princeton, where he performed multiple neurointerventional procedures.
	Morgan Eiland, M.D., completed his residency in Diagnostic Radiology at the University of Alabama Medical Center in Birmingham and has served on staff as a consulting radiologist at numerous other hospitals in the Birmingham area. He served as the Chief of Radiology at Shelby Memorial Hospital and retired as Chairman of Radiology at the Callahan Eye Foundation Hospital. He also served on the Research Advisory Committee at Brookwood Hospital.
	Donald Reynolds, D.O., attended Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kirksville , Missouri and served as Chief Resident during his radiology residency at Michigan State University . Dr. Reynolds completed a year-long fellowship in Whole Body MRI at Proscan Imaging in Cincinnati , Ohio . Certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Radiology, Dr. Reynolds, joined Southeastern Imaging Group in 2005.
	Pamela Kulback, M.D., is a Board Certified radiologist who attended the University of Alabama School of Medicine in Birmingham and completed her residency in Diagnostic Radiology at the Universtiy of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Dr. Kulback also completed a year-long fellowship in Cardiopulmonary Radiology and a year of Nuclear Medicine training, both at the University of Alabama school of Medicine .  Dr. Kulback has previously served as a staff radiologist with Cooper Green Hospital , Norwood Clinic, and Carraway Methodist Medical Center . Dr. Kulback joined Southeastern Imaging Group in 2005.
	Mark Connell, M.D., is a Board Certified radiologist who attended the University of Alabama School of Medicine in Birmingham . He completed his residency in Diagnostic Radiology at Baptist Medical Center , in Birmingham , where he served as Chief Resident. Dr. Connell joined Southeatern Imaging Group in July of 2006.